I had this timeless classic playing in my mind when I woke up this morning. The 1967 song ‘Green Tambourine’ by the Lemon Pipers has stayed with us for over 50 years and still receives accolades from music lovers worldwide. This upbeat psychedelic rock track, with Indian tones and haunting sitar music, tells the story of a young busker or street musician who plays any song on his green tambourine to earn a few pennies. The record-buying public of the time was taken by its unique atmosphere, and it became a chart-topping hit in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Interestingly, the song’s success came even though the members of the Lemon Pipers were not comfortable being made over into a bubblegum act. Instead, they wanted to make sophisticated psych-rock, and none of their successive singles hit. Furthermore, they got into royalty disputes with their label, and they left Buddah in 1968 and broke up soon afterward. Three former Lemon Pipers later formed a band called Starstruck and recorded a funky rock version of the old blues traditional ‘Black Betty.’ Starstruck evolved into Ram Jam, led by the former Lemon Pipers guitarist Bill Bartlett.
The Lemon Pipers’ legacy lives on, as many music lovers still have their vinyl L.P. Even the pre-MTV generation still loves this song, as the commenter “pvdri82” points out. Moreover, the song’s re-emergence in popular culture continues to make it popular among younger generations. The catchy lyrics and unique sounds make it an all-time flower power classic, according to commenter “aragorn1959.”
The vocals in ‘Green Tambourine’ are accentuated by a heavily emphasized tape echo every time the word ‘play’ appears. This musical effect, coupled with the haunting sitar sound and Indian tones, makes it a unique song that could only have been made in the 60s. Unfortunately, the Lemon Pipers would never repeat their success with ‘Green Tambourine’ and soon went their separate ways. Despite this, the song has remained popular, and we can still appreciate its unique vibe and feel-good lyrics today.
If you haven’t listened to ‘Green Tambourine,’ you have missed out on a unique musical experience. Watch the video and enjoy the catchy tune that captured the imagination of the 60s record-buying public. Then, share this classic song with your friends because it’s a must-have for any music lover’s library.
